USCIS Announces Fee Increase for Artist Visas!

It is with the deepest bewilderment and frustration that we are compelled to announce:

USCIS HAS IMPLEMENTED A FEE INCREASE FOR VISA PETITIONS

On Friday, October 21, the US Department of Homeland Security announced that it has approved the request of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to increase the fee for US visa petitions from $325 to $460. The new fee is scheduled to be officially published in the Federal Register on Monday, October 24, 2016 and will be effective 60 days later. This means that:

Effective December 24, 2016 the filing fee for all I-129 Petitions for O and P visas will be $460

Any petitions received after December 24, 2016that do not include a filing fee of $460 will be rejected! (Merry Christmas from our friends at USCIS!)

The Fee for Premium Processing will remain $1225 per petition.

As a reminder, standard processing continues to range from 3 – 4 months!

For the curious or masochistic among you, on Monday, October 24, 2016 you’ll be able to read all 157 pages of the official notification at:

All questions on any topic related to legal, management, and business issues will be welcome. However, please post only general questions or hypotheticals. GG Arts Law reserves the right to alter, edit or, amend questions to focus on specific issues or to avoid names, circumstances, or any information that could be used to identify or embarrass a specific individual or organization. All questions will be posted anonymously and/or posthumously.

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THE OFFICIAL DISCLAIMER:

THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE!

The purpose of this blog is to provide general advice and guidance, not legal advice. Please consult with an attorney familiar with your specific circumstances, facts, challenges, medications, psychiatric disorders, past-lives, karmic debt, and anything else that may impact your situation before drawing any conclusions, deciding upon a course of action, sending a nasty email, filing a lawsuit, or doing anything rash!